Science

‘Post-Vax COVID’ Is a New Disease

Eventually we might all have to deal with COVID-19—but a shorter, gentler version, thanks to vaccines.

Here Come the First Responders ... And the Engineers?

After a natural disaster hits, volunteers swoop in to assess why some buildings survived and others didn’t.

Elon Musk Must Be Pretty Relieved

SpaceX's first private astronauts have returned to Earth from a three-day stay in orbit.

Sorry, a Coronavirus Infection Might Not Be Enough to Protect You

Anyone who’d rather have COVID-19 than get vaccinated is taking two gambles: that immunity will stick around, and that symptoms won’t.

SpaceX’s Private Astronauts Are Flying Higher Than the Space Station

The tourism era of American spaceflight is really, truly here.

Why I’m Thinking About Alcohol Taxes

And what they have to do with climate change.

Photographing the Microscopic: Winners of Nikon Small World 2021

Some of the winning and honored images from the 2021 Small World Photomicrography Competition

Finally, a Private Spaceflight With a Billionaire You’ve Never Heard Of

SpaceX’s first space tourists are launching into orbit this week, and they seem almost normal.

Alabama’s Watery Past Is a Warning

Fossils of the state’s prehistoric sea dinosaurs can tell us a thing or two about how climate change might one day affect modern animals.

We’re Asking the Impossible of Vaccines

Complete protection against infection has long been hailed as the holy grail of vaccination. It might simply be unachievable.

When the Climate Crisis Becomes Unignorable

This summer’s weather has forced a kind of continuous awareness of climate change.  

The Plan to Stop Every Respiratory Virus at Once

The benefits of ventilation reach far beyond the coronavirus. What if we stop taking colds and flus for granted, too?

The Search for America’s Atlantis

Did people first come to this continent by land or by sea?

Birds Can Hear Tsunamis Way Before They Hit

Scientists hope the ability can be turned into an early-warning system.

Climate Change Is Already Rejiggering Where Americans Live

Some Hurricane Ida survivors may have no choice but to leave. Sooner or later, people across the country will be in the same bind.

What We Actually Know About Waning Immunity

Reports of vaccines’ decline have been greatly overstated.

The Planet Needs Jerome Powell

The Trump-appointed chair of the Federal Reserve has inadvertently become a climate advocate.

Long-Haulers Are Fighting for Their Future

Many people with long COVID feel that science is failing them. Neglecting them could make the pandemic even worse.  

The Wrong Way to Test Yourself for the Coronavirus

Rapid tests can help you stay safe in the Delta outbreak. But you have to use them correctly.

We’re Hitting the Limits of Hurricane Preparedness

Cities simply don’t have enough time to run from a storm like Ida.